MOLLY CONE PAPERS

Provenance

Material was donated by Molly Cone from 1965 to 1978.

Restrictions

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17,
U. S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study,
scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership
and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other
use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Biographical Sketch

Molly Lamken Cone was born on October 3, 1918 in Tacoma, Washington. She grew
up as the middle child of five and always knew she would be a writer. She attended the
University of Washington from 1936-1939 and has worked as both a children's author
and an advertising copywriter. Ms. Cone has also used the joint pseudonym Caroline
More with Margaret Pitcairn Strachan. They co-wrote Batch of Trouble with
Dial in 1963.

Ms. Cone is most noted for her Mishmash and Shema (Hear, O Israel) series.
There are seven Mishmash stories, all of which are based on her own dog,
Tiny. The Shema series consists of five primers published with the Union of
American Hebrew Congregation that teach Jewish culture and religion. She has also
contributed to three anthologies, Bold Journeys (1966), The Young
America Basic Reading Program (1972), and Stories My Grandfather Should
Have Told Me (1977).

The excellence of her work has been recognized by the Association of Jewish Libraries,
Theta Sigma Pi, the Washington Press Women, and the New York Times.

Sources:

Something About the Author, vol. 28, pp. 65-67.

Contemporary Authors, vol 37 NR, pp. 91-92.

Scope and Content

The Molly Cone Papers have a variety of material including typescripts, galleys, proofs,
correspondence and research notes. The materials are arranged alphabetically by
title and within each title in the probable order in which they were created. The
correspondence is arranged chronologically by title.

Written between 1962 and 1982, the seven Mishmash stories are about a furry
mutt named Mishmash that lives with a teacher named Miss Patch. One of her
students, Pete, befriends the dog and they have crazy adventures. There are
typescripts and galleys for the five Mishmash stories represented in the
collection. Another series by Ms. Cone is the Shema (Hear, O IsraelM), a five volume
series about understanding the Jewish religion. There are galleys for three of the
titles.

Ms. Cone has also written numerous young adult fiction books dealing with the topics
of self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-esteem. She describes these stories as "a
kind of adventure story with the characters caught up in a dilemma or sometimes
trauma of growing up." (Something About the Author, vol. 28, pp. 67) Her first
book, Only Jane (1960) is the story of a shy girl who finds the courage to go
to a dance. In Call Me Moose (1978), Martha finds herself when she tries to
deal with the awkwardness of being an adolescent at summer camp. There are
typescripts for these titles. In The Real Dream (1964), a young girl thinks she
has met the boy of her dreams. A college-age girl learns to accept herself at a time
when women were not supposed to be engineers in Crazy Mary (1966). There
are typescripts and galleys for these two stories.

Although most of Ms. Cone's main characters are females, she has a few with boys
who find self-awareness while witnessing social injustices. The Amazing Memory
of Henry Bean (1980) is the story of a young boy who befriends a man and women
who scrounge in a dumpster for leftovers and treasures. In Number Four
(1972) a boy begins to appreciate his hertitage when he realizes he is the only Native
American in his school. It is based on the true-life account of a Native American teen
who was found dead in a river. There are numerous newspaper articles, research
notes, and materials, as well as typescripts and galleys for this title. The Other Side
of the Fence (1967) is another story that reveals social injustice. In the story, Joey
discovers that there are negative feelings towards an African American family that live
in the "empty house" in his aunt's all-white neighborhood. There is a typescript and
partial galley for this title.

As a basis for her stories, Ms. Cone often describes Jewish characters and the
problems they face as teenagers. In A Promise is a Promise (1964), Ruthy
questions her Jewish faith when her friend invites her to join a church. Two of her
stories deal with characters who realize the importance of their religion. Dance
Around the Fire (1974) is the story of Joanne, who travels to Rome and Israel to
learn more about her Jewish heritage. In You Can't Make Me If I Don't Want
To (1971), Mitch runs away from home when he decides he does not want to
travel to Israel with his family. Both the parents and the son begin to realize how little
they know about each other.

Other books about the Jewish religion are also represented in the collection. The
House in the Tree (1968), Who Knows Ten? (1965), Purim (1967),
The Jewish New Year (1967), and The Jewish Sabbath (1966) all
have typescripts and galleys. Hurry Henrietta (1966) is a biography of
Henrietta Szold, a famous Jewish women. There are research materials, typescripts,
and correspondence for this title.